What is a coral classified as?

What is a coral classified as?

Classification: Though a coral polyp looks like a plant, it’s really an animal, or rather, a colony of animals, and is classified into the Phylum Cnidaria (also called Phylum Coelenterata).

Is coral a biotic species?

Biotic factors of The Great Barrier Reef are the living components of the ecosystem, they include: coral, animals (such as sea turtles, crabs, sea urchins ,fish, sharks, eels, dolphins and seals), plants (like seaweed and plankton) and bacteria.

Are corals producers?

Both a primary consumer and primary producer! Coral has a mutually beneficial relationship with microscopic algae which means it gets energy from photosynthesis during the day.

Are corals Chemoautotrophs?

Like some species of corals, which must be exposed to sunlight to reap the benefits of their algal partners, vent animals must live exposed to hydrothermal vent fluids in order to benefit from their bacterial symbionts. …

Is coral a herbivore or omnivore?

If you have ever seen branching corals spreading their arms out like tree limbs, you can see why early scientists thought corals were plants. But these tiny, soft-bodied creatures are carnivores, despite being sessile, or fixed to one spot.

Would a coral reef be considered biotic or abiotic?

Biotic factors are living or once living components of a community. Coral reefs are complex ecosystems . There are many different biotic factors that affect coral reefs. They will be discussed throughout different units.

Is coral a consumer?

Corals are also secondary consumers at the third trophic level, because they also eat zooplankton and other small organisms they catch with their tentacles. Zooplankton that eat phytoplankton are primary consumers at the second trophic level.

Is coral a herbivore omnivore or carnivore?

These carnivorous coral polyps reach their tentacles out to search for food. If you have ever seen branching corals spreading their arms out like tree limbs, you can see why early scientists thought corals were plants. But these tiny, soft-bodied creatures are carnivores, despite being sessile, or fixed to one spot.

Is coral autotrophic or heterotrophic?

Most corals are both heterotrophic (catching nutrition from outside sources) and autotrophic (relying on photosynthesis from symbiotic algae). Coral polyps capture plankton and particulate matter from the water with their tentacles.

Is coral autotrophs or heterotrophs and explain?

Corals are heterotrophs, with a big caveat. Therefore, reef corals with polyps maintaining symbionts have characteristics of both autotrophs and heterotrophs. Lighting provides the energy for zooxanthellae to photosynthesize. It may or may not come as some surprise that light, to corals, is simply food.

Why are corals not considered to be autotrophs?

The assumption that reef corals are wholly autotrophic due to the presence of zooxanthellae is questioned. Reef corals lack the behavioral and structural specializations for an autotrophic existence comparable to that found in the xeniid octocorals and zoanthideans which appear to depend upon zooxanthellae for their food.

What kind of symbiotic relationship do corals have with algae?

Corals themselves are heterotrophs. However, some species (not all) form a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellate algae. These algae colonize the corals’ bodies and carry out photosynthesis, providing the corals with food in exchange for protection.

What kind of fish do heterotrophs eat?

However, they are omnivores and will also eat algae, mullusks, crustaceans, fish, sea urchins, and jelly fish. Although their hard shells preotect them, they can still fall prey to large fish, sharks, crocodiles, octopuses, and humans.

What kind of fish live in a coral reef?

They live in rocky or coral reefs in tropical and warm temperate seas. They have very large eyes and can make sounds to ward off intruders. They make clicking and grunting sounds by vibrating their swim bladders. Most squirrel fish are a bright red color in order to blend in with the coral reef.